1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a cardiac pacer or a defibrillator with a pacing function for pacing the human heart. More particularly the invention relates to a pacer including a hysteresis function in accordance with the preamble of claim 1.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many pacer patients exhibit periods of normal heart sinus rhythm, where natural atrial - ventricular synchrony, sequential AV pumping and good hemodynamics are maintained.
Should the natural heart rate drop for some reason, the depolarization of the ventricle is taken over by the pacer (single chamber or dual chamber in, e.g., VVI-mode). In this situation the AV-synchrony is no longer maintained and the atrial contribution (15-20%) to the cardiac output is lost, thus the pumping capacity of the heart is reduced.
By creating a difference between the programmed pacer basic escape interval, i.e., the interval following paced heartbeats, and the escape interval following a pacer inhibiting, sensed spontaneous (natural) heartbeat, in the sense that the patients with periods of normal sinus rhythm will remain in their own rhythm and thus benefit from the advantages of AV-synchrony.
This difference between sensed and paced intervals is known as hysteresis. For reasons other than that just described, hysteresis can be important. As the pacer is inhibited for longer periods of time, pacer longevity is increased. Further, when sinus rhythm is favored, competition between natural and paced rhythm is reduced.
In modes other than VVI and VVT, the hysteresis function can be employed for favoring the patient's own rhythm. A patient with an atrial synchronized pacer as well as a dual chamber pacer operating in the AAI, AAT or DDD mode can benefit from the above advantages. In these modes, the hysteresis function is applied to the atrial escape interval.
The conventional hysteresis function extends the escape interval following a sensed heart signal by introducing, as in Siemens-Elema's Pulse Generator 704, a fixed hysteresis interval. This interval could be programmable, and technically realized by programming a second (higher) trigger level into the escape interval counter. A more detailed explanation is found in Siemens brochure A91003-M3372-L772-02-7600, published March 1985.
With the advent of rate responsive (RR) pacers, the fixed interval hysteresis could generate rather strange effects. In an RR-pacer the sensor signal sets the basic stimulation rate (basic escape interval) within a wide rate range, typically 30-150 beats/min (bpm), depending on the workload. At 60 bpm, a 250 ms hysteresis time extends the escape interval so that the corresponding rate is 48 bpm. At 150 bpm, when the rate is increased due to increased workload, the same hysteresis time extends the escape interval so that the corresponding rate is 92 bpm.
This large difference at 150 bpm between the interval after pacing and the interval after sensing is inconvenient for the patient as it corresponds to a large drop in heart rate, which does not take the high work load into account. Consequently, the blood pressure goes down and the patient feels dizzy and may faint.